Jovica Spajić

About

Jovica Spajić was born in a small village near Priboj – a town surrounded with magnificent mountains and the river Lim in their foothill. He spent his childhood and early youth growing up in one of the most picturesque parts of Serbia where a traditional Serbian family and the moral values of the good-natured people unblemished by civilization development have still been preserved. The place arose from the foundations of a medieval square and a high fortress, a legacy of a former town Jagat, built to defend and safeguard the monastery from pre-Nemanjic and early Nemanjic era and a generation after generation of its people matured with a deep sense of respect for sanctity, religion, motherland and life hence it is no wonder that Jovica matured from a boy into a young man gifted with virtues which his modest family, his closest surroundings and historical spirit of the place had been instilling into him.

Searching for his quintessence, he continues his schooling in Sremska Kamenica and after graduating from High School of the Internal Affairs, he returns to his hometown where he works until 2008 as a police officer in Priboj police station. The same year, he comes to the capital and becomes a member of Special Anti-terrorist Unit (SAJ) within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia.

He is a black belt holder in Japanese jiu-jitsu and judo. He competed in Cross Fit and accomplished outstanding results in all disciplines. Since 2012 he has been a member of the Serbian ultra marathon national team and has represented his country at the world most significant endurance races and competitions.

He persistently improves and acquires knowledge and skills through continuous courses and training in alpinism, free climbing, parachuting, survival in extreme conditions, topography and nutrition. He is exceptionally tactically, mentally and physically trained.

All the experience allowed him to undertake the greatest and most extreme ventures a human body can bear. He carefully chooses the biggest and toughest world races to take part in. In 2012, his versatility, readiness, motive and a deep faith in himself lead him to the most demanding world ultra marathon races where he becomes one of the best ultramarathon runners in the world. The exceptional thing about him is that he factually is a competitor but above all he moves his own limits in the fight with his strongest rival – himself.

In 2014, he participated in 24 hour race and 100km at the IAU Ultramarathon which took place in Palic, Serbia. He broke the national record of Serbia in 24hour race by running 222.221km.

In 2014, he competed with the best ultramarathon runners in “Icarus Florida Ultra Fest“, a six-day race on a certified track. He was second overall and first in his age category with a new national record of 682.3km. ​http://www.icarusfloridaultrafest.com/

In 2015, he finished a legendary race “Badwater” in Death Valley, the USA. He ran 217km of extreme ultramarathon and took the 8th place overall and 2nd place in his age category.

In 2016, he took part in the World cup “World Trophy” in Athens. He won the 6-day race and set a new national record of 702km.

In 2016, he won “La Ultra – The High“ in the Himalayas and broke a long time record. The race is 333km long and takes place in the Indian part of Himalayas at the average altitude of 4.800m.

In 2017, he took part in a legendary “TAHOE Lake” in California, the last habitat of the Navaho Indians in the national park Homewood. He finished the 340km long race as 4th overall.

In 2017, he also participated in a legendary race “Jungle Marathon”, the last edition of the race and enters history as the winner of probably the toughest ultramarathon in the world.

He also took part in the Namibia race 2017 (4 Desert organization) - 250 kilometers long Ultramaraton in Namibia desert, second place overall.

Then he participated to the Moab 240 mile Endurance Run 2018 - Moab, Utah, USA - the longest (almost 400 kilometers) and one of the toughest "trail" race in USA - second place overall.

In 2019 he participated to the Arrowhead 135 - extremely demanding winter race in Northern Minnesota (International Falls ("ice box of nation", USA) and one of the hardest endurance events on Planet (temparature during the race goes below -50 degrees of Celsius) - first place in foot division.

Mission

"Ultramarathon and projects related to the extreme endurance races for me represent an entire "mosaic" of a wide range of knowledge and skills. It awakes in you, this creative, adventurous spirit and you start dreaming about the distant parts of the Planet, and when the race takes you there, you feel immense joy in your heart and soul. You become the protagonist of an extraordinary story, which is not just running, but much deeper and wider. This sport gives you the chance to show yourself personally, both in physically and socially aspects. During the past few years I am somehow profiled like athlete who love to run on some of the World's most demanding environments and I choose races where I could use some of my skills that I am learned in my Special Anti-terrorist Unit - SAJ. During this "journeys" you will experienced everything that "Mother Nature" could possibly throw on protagonists of this unique and epic events. Desert heat, sand, dirty roads, canyons, river-crossing, mountains single tracks, forests, mud, snow, ice, roots, rain, strong wind, just named it, you will get everything. Athletes must find a way to survive "battle" with weather conditions and elements, distance, sleep deprivation and other factors that could determined final result. Ultramarathon and extreme endurance races represents a symbiosis of everything that makes ultras at the same time beautiful and dangerous. During such a "life chapters" and epic adventures, you experience unforgettable moments filled with the most diverse emotions, lots of "ups and downs", tears and smiles, and it is necessary to have in addition to exceptional physical preparedness, also mental stability, stress resistance, the ability to move for days with minimal food intake and fluids at temperatures betwen -50 and +50 degrees Celsius, without sleep....In Serbia, many young people follow my results. It inspired them that they attempt to fulfill their dreams..." - Jovica